Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination produces a wide performance spread in Evolve, ranging from a near-unplayable 22.1 FPS at 4K Ultra to a very smooth 146.3 FPS at 1080p Low. The data indicates this pairing is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K only viable at the lowest settings. Benchmark results show the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, while the CPU's strong single-threaded performance keeps frame rates high at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this hardware handles Evolve across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 3840x2160 (4K), the results are predominantly below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The Low preset delivers an average of 53.9 FPS, which is the only 4K result close to playable. Medium drops to 44.7 FPS, High falls to 36.3 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 22.1 FPS. None of these 4K configurations reach a stable 60 FPS, indicating that the RX 6600 lacks the raw pixel throughput for this resolution in Evolve.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation improves substantially. The Low preset averages 96.7 FPS, providing a significant headroom above the 60 FPS target. Medium follows at 78 FPS, which remains comfortably playable. High drops to 59.3 FPS, just barely missing the 60 FPS threshold, while Ultra falls to 40.4 FPS. The transition from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 56.3 FPS drop, demonstrating how demanding the higher presets are on this GPU.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combination performs best. The Low preset averages 146.3 FPS, making it highly responsive for fast-paced FPS gameplay. Medium achieves 116.6 FPS, and High reaches 89.7 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 59.9 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS mark but still close enough for acceptable gameplay in less demanding scenes. The scaling from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra shows a 19.5 FPS drop, while going from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra results in a 37.8 FPS decline, highlighting the GPU's resolution scaling limitations.

The data shows no minimum or maximum FPS values were recorded, so the analysis relies entirely on average frame rates. The pattern across all settings is consistent: higher resolutions and presets reduce performance in a predictable manner, with the steepest penalties occurring at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-14400F show that its average benchmark score of 32,279 places it in close competition with several other processors. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scores 32,233, representing a 0.1% delta, making it virtually identical in synthetic performance. The Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32,226 with a 0.2% delta, while the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 32,354 with a -0.2% delta, meaning it is slightly faster. The Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32,121 with a 0.5% delta. In real-world Evolve gameplay, any of these CPUs would produce nearly indistinguishable frame rates when paired with the same GPU, as the differences are within a fraction of a percent.

For the AMD Radeon RX 6600, the average benchmark score is 19,036. The closest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 with a score of 19,030 and a 0% delta, indicating identical performance in synthetic benchmarks. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile scores 19,049 with a -0.1% delta, making it marginally faster. The NVIDIA Tesla K20m scores 19,089 with a -0.3% delta, also slightly faster. The NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation scores 18,954 with a 0.4% delta, making it slightly slower. When considering Evolve specifically, these GPUs would deliver similar average FPS at each resolution and preset, though driver-level optimization could cause minor variations not captured in the benchmark data.

The CPU and GPU both sit near the 63rd percentile for their respective categories, indicating they are mid-range parts that offer balanced performance. The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 63, and the CPU's percentile vs all CPUs is 83, suggesting the processor has relatively more headroom than the graphics card in this pairing.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the data shows no playable settings that maintain a 60 FPS average. The best option is Low with 53.9 FPS, but this falls short of the playability threshold. Medium (44.7 FPS), High (36.3 FPS), and Ultra (22.1 FPS) all progressively worsen the experience. For 4K, the verdict is clear: this hardware cannot sustain smooth gameplay in Evolve at any preset.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which averages 78 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the threshold while offering better visual quality than Low (96.7 FPS). The High preset at 59.3 FPS just misses the mark, so Medium represents the optimal balance of visual fidelity and performance at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that clears 60 FPS is High, averaging 89.7 FPS. This delivers strong visual quality with a substantial performance buffer. The Ultra preset at 59.9 FPS is technically below the threshold, though the margin is small enough that it could be playable in practice depending on scene complexity. For guaranteed smoothness, High is the recommended choice, while players willing to accept occasional dips can try Ultra.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution data clearly indicates where this PC can run Evolve effectively. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with High (89.7 FPS), Medium (116.6 FPS), and Low (146.3 FPS) all clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 59.9 FPS is borderline, but the overall experience at 1080p is positive, making this the ideal resolution for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable with Medium (78 FPS) and Low (96.7 FPS) both exceeding 60 FPS. The High preset at 59.3 FPS is just under the line, so players must choose between lower settings for guaranteed smoothness or accept a slight dip for better visuals. This resolution is viable but requires some compromise.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot run Evolve at a playable frame rate. The best average is 53.9 FPS at Low, but this still falls below the 60 FPS target. All other presets are significantly worse, making 4K an impractical choice for this hardware. The conclusion is that this PC runs Evolve well at 1080p and adequately at 1440p, but not at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals which component matters more in Evolve. At 1080p, the CPU's strong performance allows the GPU to push high frame rates, with Low reaching 146.3 FPS and Ultra still hitting 59.9 FPS. The relatively small gap between presets at this resolution suggests the CPU is keeping pace with the GPU's output, and the i5-14400F's 10 cores and 16 threads provide sufficient processing power for Evolve's FPS gameplay.

As resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The frame rate drops from 96.7 FPS at Low to 78 FPS at Medium, then to 59.3 FPS at High and 40.4 FPS at Ultra. This 56.3 FPS spread between Low and Ultra indicates that the RX 6600's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 1792 shading units are struggling with the increased pixel load. The CPU's role diminishes at this resolution because the GPU is spending more time on rendering tasks.

At 4K, the GPU bottleneck becomes severe. The frame rate at Low (53.9 FPS) is barely above half of what the same settings achieve at 1080p (146.3 FPS). The Ultra preset at 22.1 FPS shows that the RX 6600 cannot handle 4K rendering in Evolve, regardless of the CPU's capabilities. The data suggests that the i5-14400F would not meaningfully improve 4K performance, as the GPU is clearly the limiting factor.

The CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,055, is likely sufficient for Evolve's game logic and physics at all resolutions. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s and 128-bit bus width are the primary constraints at higher resolutions, as the data shows diminishing returns as pixel count increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 2,903 out of 3,700 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the bottom 21.5% of all configurations. This rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning rather than the CPU's strength, as the RX 6600's percentile vs all GPUs is 63, which is lower than the i5-14400F's percentile vs all CPUs of 83.

The rank suggests that most other tested combinations deliver higher frame rates in Evolve, likely due to more powerful GPUs. The CPU's performance is competitive, with its nearest rival the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scoring nearly identically (0.1% delta), so the ranking is driven by GPU limitations. For players considering this combo, the data indicates that upgrading the GPU would yield more significant gains in Evolve than upgrading the CPU, particularly at higher resolutions.

In practical terms, this ranking means the combo is below average for Evolve, but it still achieves playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with appropriate settings. The rank of 2,903 out of 3,700 should not discourage potential users, as the game remains playable at the resolutions where the hardware excels. The key takeaway is that this pairing is a budget-conscious choice that handles Evolve well at mainstream resolutions, but it is not a high-end solution for 4K gaming.